INTRODUCTION:

Knowledge being considered as a strategic asset of an organization, designs its structure, goals and processes to create its value. For organizations to succeed in knowledge management, it has to balance between individual knowledge & organizational knowledge. Till the end of 90’s, Hiring was one of the most sub-systems of Human Resource functions. In this regard “HIRING” was commonly known as Recruitment or Talent acquisition that emerged as one of the most critical strategic process in the Human Resource Functions. Smart hiring will give the benefits of lower employee turnover, reduced personnel cost and high performing teams. While wrong hiring costs, huge indirect loss in the form of productivity and high employee turnover. Recruiting talented people is very difficult but the most difficult task is retaining those talented people. The organizations experience the shortage of employees due to employee mobility- Job rotation, transfers, promotion, some leave organizations to join other organizations providing better package than the existing company. Thus, hiring has become the most visible process in the HR functions. Talent implies creativity, freedom and curiosity. Talent becomes evident when solutions are not apparent. Scholars describe talent as valuable and hard to intimate because it is essentially unpredictable. Talent discovers treasures without having a map.

Managing talent is difficult because it does not appear to be chiefly job-related skill. Instead, talent seems to favour soft skills, which requires nurturing and an opportunity to manifest. Thus HR manager should know that, retaining talented employees require more nurturing and less managing.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

Robertson and Hammersely (2000), describes the selection process in the consulting firm where candidates were screened out in two interviews. These interviews involved several consultants from a number of disciplines as well as the Human Resource Manager. The overriding importance was on the candidate’s ability to fit into the firm’s distinctive way of working, which involved the willingness and ability to work in groups and share knowledge. Psychometric tests were used but less weight was placed on their results.

Evans (2003), argued for revising the interview and selection processes so that they gather evidence about individual knowledge building behaviors. As well suggested to ask practical questions rather than the old traditional questions.

Rothwell and Kazanas (2004), Traditional talent management is usually understood to mean systematic efforts to recruit, develop and retain highly productive and promotable people.

Rothwell, Jackson, Knight, Lindholm (2005), talent of employees is integrated with a career planning program in which individuals are challenged to clarify their future life/ career goals and identify their own developmental needs to meet their career goals.

Steps in Hiring Talents

1. 360 degree Approach to understand the job: The first step towards the right recruitment is to understand the job. Before recruitment the recruiter should understand the job and job requirements in detail. The best way is 360 degree approach of understanding the job from all angles.

2. Preparing the position profile: The next step includes the description of job in brief, the age, qualification, experience, job profile and job challenges.

3. Screening the CVs: The position profiling is followed by the screening of the CV. Generally, the recruiters match a few key things like qualification, experience, current position, but if the CV is properly screened than the ratio of selection to interview will come down. The success of CV screening depends on two main steps. First, the CV should be matched vis-à-vis the position profile in detail item wise and secondly matching should be mentioned at the end of this exercise.

4. Preliminary interview: The preliminary interview helps in confirming the details mentioned in the jobs, major achievements, ability of working in teams etc. This interview should be conducted in a structured manner.

5. Interviewing: Interviewing plays a major role in hiring a right person. The interviewer as well the interviewee both should be prepared for the interview. As the organization decides upon the candidature based on the interview, in the same manner the candidate also decides about his decision to join the organization based on the interview with the interview panel.

6. Reference Check: Reference conducted in the structured manner is of great help. It makes clear the competencies required for performing the job effectively and rating scale should be developed for getting feedback from the referee.

7. Background verification: The major verification includes, qualification, DOB, employment, post salary details, IT sector recruiters should be extra cautious as there is increased mis-representation day-by-day. The major verification to be done is the candidates personal characters, like his/ her behavior with the female/ male colleagues and with his spouse and wards.

Ten Key Steps to Be Followed By Hr Manager

1. Clarify the organizational goals, get commitment and build accountabilities.

2. Clarify what work people do, how people successfully do the work and who possesses special knowledge and special social relationships.

3. Evaluate present performance.

4. Recruit and select appropriate people from inside and outside the organisation.

5. Formulate future talent requirements and align with strategic objectives.

6. Access individual potential for promotion and individual values and ethics.

7. Inventory existing talent.

8. Plan for individual development.

9. Systematically retain people and transfer knowledge and social relationships.

10. Evaluate results.

Retaining Best Talents

Gone are the days when people worked hard to get their basic needs of living. Today are the days when people look beyond just the money/ salary. They are putting their knowledge to work rather than just muscle power. Surveys conducted during 1980s were able to identify factors such as personal accomplishment, job security, pay equity, opportunity for employee input for drives of employee satisfaction. By the 1990s, with the disruptive trends of corporate reorganization, outsourcing and diminished job security, employees relationships to their work had evolved, such that professional development opportunities, clear organizational direction and a good work-life balance had become keys to feeling committed as well as satisfied. During the current decade, as employers endeavor to build competitive advantage in the global economy, engagement is essential for optimizing human capital. Employers need to apply those practices that lead to higher levels of employee engagement. The very outlook of the business success has created many knowledge workers. Knowledge workers are the assets of the organization. Therefore, organizations cannot afford to lose these knowledge workers as these people add value to the organization through their experience, expertise and knowledge. HR people should develop strategies to provide various measures, rewards, facilities, intellectually stimulating and challenging working environment. They should also pay attention towards succession planning, pre-retirees and care must be taken while downsizing the retrenchments.

Factors Responsible for Employees to be Loyal to Employers

1. Recognition among the employees

2. Trust in the organizational policies

3. Trust in management

4. Job security

5. Opportunity to use their skills on the job

6. Absence of unnecessary work stress

7. Absence of politics

8. Good working environment and facilities

9. Award and reward

10. Chance for promotion on achieving criteria.

HR Manager Goals

1. Recruit high potentials from outside the organization.

2. Developing high potentials inside the organization

3. Preparing sufficient number of talented people to support business expansion.

4. Role modeling talent efforts by developing self and others.

5. Preparing sufficiently well qualified replacements before key leaders retire.

The goals should be formulated based on business needs and should be made measurable.

Discover Reasons for Leaving the Organisation

It’s the responsibility of the HR manager to conduct the exit interview very smartly and discover the reasons for employees leaving the organization, as many employees do not disclose the reason with a fear of future reference or some compensation, Provident Fund, insurance related issues etc. Whatever may be the fear, irrespective of it the HR Manager should succeed in finding the common reasons for employees leaving the organization, is it due to unsatisfied salary package, no promotions, no chance for training and development, no healthy working environment, no flexible work times etc.

CHALLENGES

IMPACT

TCS INITIATIVES

RESULTS

International Recruitment

 Attaining the right mix

 Cost of hire

 Acceptability as brand

 Interfacing with Academics

 Brand Building exercise

 Liaison and local government and associations

 Higher acceptability

 Optimizing cost of hire

Global Mobility

 Right person for right job

 Flexible workplace

 Culture Assimilation Trainings

 Group/ individual mentoring to create the mind set (Propel/ PEEP)

 Plug and play employee

 Lower lead time to productivity

Workforce Integration

 Team work

 Synergy and focus on organisational goal

 Group Mentoring (Propel) for assimilating different flavors

 Employee engagement program to bind cultures

 Cohesive workforce

 TCS culture above all flavors

Standardization of Policies

 Clarity of entitlements

 Flexibility

 HRMS framework

 Standardization of policies

 Unambiguous policies and procedures

 Policies not anchored to parent country

Building Global Leaders

 Growth of the organisation

 Vision and strategies

 Leadership development programmes

 Feeder jobs at various levels

 International assignments

 Strong leadership at top of the pyramid

 Focus on Global growth

Attrition

 Performance equilibrium

 Comfort factor for clients

 Listening to the associate(PEEP Propel PIP, Grievance Redressal Pulse)

 Employee engagement

 Challenging opportunity and fast growth

 Learning and development

 Lowest Attrition rate on in the industry

 High employee satisfaction

 Employer of choice in many geographies

Statutory Obligations

 Acceptability in host country

 Day to day operations of office

 Social Harmony

 Local expert hired to ensure compliance

 Due diligence before stepping

 Liaison with local government and associations

 Acceptability improves and paves way for growth

 Ability to leverage on local strengths

Strategies to Retain Employees

Employee retention is critical to the long term health and success of an organisation. Top management agree that retaining talented employees ensure customer satisfaction, product sales, satisfied co-workers and reporting staff, effective succession planning and deeply imbedded organizational knowledge and learning. Retention is the key outcome that companies look for from optimizing total rewards. But, the other important things are attraction to have a package of rewards that people in the growth market like India will be attracted to and that competing companies may not offer and productivity that can be pushed up by optimizing the rewards package. When there is more productivity there is more money to spend on rewards.

As companies cannot afford to loose talent employees, they have to frame the strategies to retain their best talents, by considering from Indian perspective point of view, the following are few of the strategies that companies should follow,

1. Providing handsome salary package to different segments of employees.

2. Frame progressive promotional policies

3. Providing facilities for updating knowledge and skills.

4. Set regular training and development programs.

5. For Younger employees provide more training and development benefits or paid time off.

6. They should understand the fact that problems may have excellent potential for successful outcomes if dealt in a creative manner.

7. For older workers provide different retirement benefits, but the focus should be on whome the company wants to attract and then work out the rewards accordingly.

8. Ascertain the appropriate management style that will be required to nurture the talent pool.

9. Sometimes let the employees work out their own rewards package, by talking to them, listening to them, taking their opinion on the current rewards, package being offered, rather than simply guessing their choices.

10. Sometimes, provide some exciting things than that of the competitions.

11. Create environments conducive to creativity and innovation.

12. Involve the employees in finding solutions to problems, because many a times an employee may know the solutions but they may be afraid to convey their thoughts to the management.

13. Respect people and treat them as if they are a valuable asset to the organisation- since they truly deserve it.

CONCLUSION:

In today’s global market place the Human Resource professionals should understand the needs of the organization as well as the demands of knowledge workers. Organizations’ should realize that their national and global HR function can help then utilize their existing human talent from across multiple geographical and cultural boundaries. International organisations need to assist and incorporate their HR function to meet the challenges they face if they want to create a truly global workforce.

REFERENCE:

1. Charles Samraj (2008), Globally Yours..: Learnings from TCS Experience, NHRD, Vol.2, No.1.

2. Despres C. and Hiltrop J.M. (1995)Human Resource Management in the Knowledge Age: Current practices and perspectives on the future employee relations.

3. Davenport T.H. and Prusak. L.(1998) Working Knowledge: How organisations manage what they know, Harvard Bussiness School Press, Boston, MA, USA.

4. Evans (2003) Managing for Knowledge: HR’s strategic role, Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.

5. Narasimha S (2000) Organisational knowledge, Human Resource Management and sustained competitive advantage: Toward a framework.

6. Paul B.Carr and Dennis C.Rittle (2008) Talent Management or Leadership:Some Profound Considerations for the Human Resources Practitioner, HRM review.

7. Sheila M.Rioux, Paul R.Bernthal and Richard S.Wellins (2008) The Globalisation of Human Resource Practices, NHRD Journal, Vol.2. No.1.

8. V.S.P.Rao,(2009) Human Resource Management”, Excel Books

9. William J.Rothwell (2008) Next Generation Talent Management, HRM Review.

Received on 25.10.2011 Accepted on 27.11.2011

Asian J. Management 3(1): Jan. – Mar. 2012 page 06-09